Reflections on leadership, legacy, and the future of Jewish Tidewater
Two years have flown by. My term as chair of Tidewater Jewish Foundation is nearing its end. I have served with some of the most dedicated board members and staff anyone can ever be privileged to have, and it has been an honor I will never forget. Our Jewish community in Tidewater has some of the most amazing people to learn and work with. Thank goodness for my predecessors, who were always willing to listen and advise on a moment’s notice. The same can be said for my board and committee members. Their intelligence and wisdom are guiding lights, keeping this institution on course and doing everything it possibly can for the community it serves.
TJF’s staff are some of the hardest working, dedicated professionals I have ever been associated with. I hope everyone has experienced the results of their work as we try to help our organizations become thriving institutions able to address the needs of our community.
Those of us who serve at TJF have a singular motivation. We all hope we can secure our Jewish future by building strong foundations for the institutions that allow us to live Jewishly here in Tidewater. These accomplishments require hard work, sacrifice, vision, and perseverance. Legacy is not simply about dollars and cents. It is about making sure future generations have the same opportunities to gather, worship, learn, celebrate, and support one another that we have today.
I served with Ron Kramer, Jerry Miller, Alvin Wall, Lawrence Steingold, Jody Wagner, and Charlie Nusbaum, and each generously shared their vision while helping me understand how important TJF is to our community. Hopefully, I’ve been able to keep that vision alive in some small way while helping prepare those who follow.
TJF has, by any metric, been incredibly successful. In six years, we have grown our consolidated assets from $104 million at the end of 2020, to almost $200 million with almost $68 million in promises. Several years ago, Jody and Charlie helped develop a long-range plan calling for a tripling of assets and stronger succession planning.
Today, TJF has set its sights on an even bolder goal; reaching $500 million in assets under management to help secure the long-term strength of Jewish life in Tidewater. Naomi Sedek, TJF’s president and CEO, has worked tirelessly to implement this vision, and we are in far better shape because of her and TJF’s professional team.
I leave TJF in capable hands. Paul Peck will be a fabulous chair, and our succession plan is strong. My more than 20 years of service has been among the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I thank you for allowing me to serve.